Artificial Intelligence technology to optimise welfare in pigs, agri-robots to help speed up vegetable harvests and automation to increase fruit crop yields are just some of research and development projects to receive funding through the Farming Innovation Programme.
Details of these new innovative projects comes as further support was announced for farmers and growers with novel ideas to help grow food production, encourage sustainable practices and increase productivity, with the next rounds of the Feasibility Projects and the Small R&D Partnership Project competitions due to open shortly.
The £16.5 million of funding will help drive innovation in agriculture and horticulture and is part of the Government’s £270 million Farming Innovation Programme.
It is run in partnership with UK Research and Innovation, building upon their successful Transforming Food Production challenge.